Laundry washing machines, and particularly front loading washing machines, often have a soap and chemical additive dispenser which comprises a dispenser housing within the cabinet of the washing machine and a pullout tray or drawer that can be withdrawn outwardly of the cabinet for receiving soap and other chemicals for use during a washing operation. The tray has individual compartments for each soap or chemical and can be pulled outwardly of the housing to permit easy filling of the compartments. The tray can then be slid back into the dispenser such that during washing cycles water is selectively directed into the compartments for causing the soap or chemical to overflow the respective compartment into the bottom of the dispenser housing for direction into the wash tub.
Over time, residual soap and chemicals can accumulate on the bottom of the dispenser housing and about the tray which can cause mold or mildew and odors caused by such contaminants, requiring periodic cleaning of the dispenser tray and housing which can be tedious and time consuming. One approach for preventing such soap and chemical residual buildup has been to provide an outlet to the wash tub in front of the dispenser housing for enabling the direction of wash water under the tray. Such approach, however, requires additional space in the font of the machine which takes away from the needed drum capacity. It also does not flush with clean water, but only water that has previously gone through the soap and chemical compartments.